Stargazing: Farmer finds rare meteorite in his fields

June 25, 2013 at 03:02 PM

The Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Minn. (AP) — A Sibley County farmer has scientific confirmation that the object he dug up while plowing his fields is no ordinary rock.

Bruce Lillenthal saves unique rocks he finds in his fields and piles them near the driveway of his farm near Arlington. Curiosity about one particular rock he found two years ago finally got the best of Lillenthal's wife, Nelva. The couple recently took the 33 pound object to the curator of meteorites at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul.

Professor Calvin Alexander says he's looked at an estimated 5,000 rocks over the years that were thought to be meteorites. But Alexander says he affectionately refers to them as "meteor-wrongs." Alexander tells the Star Tribune (http://bit.ly/193ieaX ) the Lillenthal's meteorite is rare and likely billions of years old.